1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pickup adjusting apparatus for adjusting the position of a pickup in an optical disk player so that optimal pickup positioning is obtained between the pickup and a disk.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows the pickup portion of a typical optical disk player in which a turntable 2 for receiving a disk (not shown) is installed at one side of a deck 1, and a parallel pair of guide rails 3 are fixedly supported by fixing portions 10 next to the turntable 2. A pickup 5 is slidably supported on the guide rails 3 to be movable along the same, and a tooth gear portion (not shown) engaged with a screw shaft 8 is formed at one side of the pickup 5. The screw shaft 8 is rotatably supported by supports 7. Accordingly, when the screw shaft 8 is rotated by the driving of a motor 4, the pickup 5 moves in a radial direction of the disk to reproduce information recorded on the disk in a known manner while moving along the guide rails 3.
In order to properly reproduce information recorded on the disk, the pickup 5 should move radially in a straight line from the center of the disk. However, manufacturing errors can occur which result in the pickup 5 deviating from the radial path from the disk center. These errors can be minimized by increasing the accuracy in parts design and product assembly. However, there is a limit to a reduction of these errors when the assembly allowance is high.
Furthermore, since an additional means for correcting these errors after assembly is not provided in the conventional disk player, such errors are corrected only by the focusing and tracking functions of the pickup 5. However, this requires excessive control of the focusing and the tracking servo, thus rendering the reproduction of information on a disk unstable.